Total Quality Management Total Quality Management (TQM) is a management strategy aimed at embedding awareness of quality in all organizational

processes. TQM has been widely used in manufacturing, education, government, and service industries, as well as NASA space and science programs. Total Quality provides an umbrella under which everyone in the organization can strive and create customer satisfaction at continually lower real costs. TQM is composed of three paradigms:

Total: Involving the entire organization, supply chain, and/or product life cycle Quality: With its usual Definitions, with all its complexities (External Definition) Management: The system of managing with steps like Plan, Organize, Control, Lead, Staff, provisioning and the likes

As defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO): "TQM is a management approach for an organization, centered on quality, based on the participation of all its members and aiming at long-term success through customer satisfaction, and benefits to all members of the organization and to society." One major aim is to reduce variation from every process so that greater consistency of effort is obtained. (Royse, D., Thyer, B., Padgett D., & Logan T., 2006) In Japan, TQM comprises four process steps, namely: 1. Kaizen Focuses on "Continuous Process Improvement", to make processes visible, repeatable and measurable. 2. Atarimae Hinshitsu The idea that "things will work as they are supposed to" (for example, a pen will write). 3. Kansei Examining the way the user applies the product leads to improvement in the product itself. 4. Miryokuteki Hinshitsu The idea that "things should have an aesthetic quality" (for example, a pen will write in a way that is pleasing to the writer). TQM requires that the company maintain this quality standard in all aspects of its business. This requires ensuring that things are done right the first time and that defects and waste are eliminated from operations.[citation needed]

A Comprehensive Definition
TQM Total Quality Management is the organisation wide management of quality. We know that management consists of planning, organizing, directing, control, and assurance. Then, one has to define "total quality". Total quality is called total because it consists of 3 qualities: Quality of return to satisfy the needs of the shareholders, Quality of products TQM